[Ansteorra] History (warning -- metaphor alert!)

[Rose & Chad]

"That's like trying to explain sex to a virgin, while sitting on a perfectly good bed." 

  Woot! That's an awesome metaphor that I am going to steal and put on my 'would love to work into a conversation' list... Roflmao.
   
  R the O

Jay Rudin <rudin at ev1.net> wrote:
  Ld Richard fitzHervy wrote:

> I too, disagree. What I think they are recalling is
> the sense of community, even of family that is sadly
> lacking today.

Huh? People spontaneously form into communities and families. It's not 
possible to prevent it.

Last weekend's Elfsea Spring Faire was a family picnic. The bards and 
audience at the bardic competition, the displaying artisans and all who 
came by to see their work, the fencers in their tourney and melees, the 
archers at the archery field, the chivalric fighters in their fights, the 
merchants and their customers, the people at gate, the folks setting up 
pavilions, the people helping each other re-setting up tents and pavilions 
after the winds came, all formed families of people working together, who 
came together and shared each other's triumphs at the community of court.

It was just like an event from the seventies, even including the people who 
were sitting around complaining about the lack of a dream instead of living 
one -- like complaining about being too hot while standing on the shore of 
a mountain lake.

I just don't see how to *avoid* the sense of community and family at an SCA 
event.

> I think that lack is one of the main
> reasons that caused the disillusion of the western
> region and several groups. I also think that we all
> are chasing the same dream, but in different ways.

The problem is that "dream" is an undefined quality, so that you can say 
"we all are chasing the same dream, but in different ways" while another 
says "Their dreams share different foci than yours or mine", a third says 
"We all share the same dream", and you can't even tell whether you 
disagree.

There's no point in discussing what the dream is like, anyway. That's like 
trying to explain sex to a virgin, while sitting on a perfectly good bed. 
Go to an event and live your dream.

> There is not a "paint brush", we all try to show
> newcomers all of the many aspects of this society that
> can be participated in so that they can choose their
> own way to be a part of The Dream. But if everybody is
> interacting mainly online with each other, working on
> their own projects, and maybe going to just a few
> events, then there is no sense of family. The internet
> is great for research, quick communication, even
> discussion of various topics when we aren't together.
> It shouldn't be the main method of interaction,
> though.

Very true. Internet communication is excellent for communication of facts 
and ideas. Personal contact is best to communicate joys and fellowship. I 
would no more try to form my strongest SCA ties over the Internet than I 
would try to kiss somebody by email.

> We should be helping each other, sharing our
> mutual interests, all by personal interaction...with
> all of the members of your local group and the rest of
> our Society. The "older" members should help newcomers
> to find their place in the Society-their own "dream"
> within The Dream. The telling of tales of the "old
> days" is but one way to do that.

Well, yeah, of course, but how could you prevent it? Last weekend, I 
performed a praise piece, fought in my lady's honor, marshalled, taught my 
cadet, worked with somebody else's cadet, recommended a couple people for 
awards, ran a competition, took a protege, received a joke gift from a 
cadet, looked over a merchant's wares, discussed a gorget problem with a 
craftsman, flirted with ladies, watched Ingwe and Brendan take a cadet, 
taught some fencers, won a melee competition, lost a tourney, received a 
local award, helped strike some pavilions, discussed some political 
problems.... How could I possibly do that *without* sharing personal 
interaction? The only way for me not to share the dream is to not take 
part in it myself.

If I'm involved in the activities (fighting, arts, service), then by 
definition I'm interacting with people and sharing my dream. I can no more 
fight without sharing the joys of fighting than I can wash the dishes with 
no dishes, or change the oil with no car..

Robin of Gilwell / Jay Rudin

"Karma: an ancient Oriental word for the concept that everytime you hug 
somebody, you get hugged too. " 

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